Community feedback at Tech Congress 2025 is shaping how we improve the Ed-Fi Data Standard and Technology Suite to drive student success.
We just wrapped the 2025 Ed-Fi Alliance Technical Congress in Anaheim, CA, where voices from across the community helped shape improvements to the Ed-Fi Data Standard and Technology Suite. Together, we are making them more practical, more powerful, and more aligned with educators’ real-world needs.
We’re entering a new era in education data. Statewide data hubs are gaining traction, streamlining the flow of data between districts and states and allowing districts to integrate their ed tech tools more securely and efficiently than ever before. In this new era, states are playing a bigger role, technology is evolving fast, and data governance remains a complex challenge. But through it all, our focus remains the same: connecting the data that drives student success.
The event brought together representatives from 29 states across the country, including 14 state education agencies and 45 first-time attendees. Thank you to everyone who joined us — your insights and feedback were vital in shaping the work ahead.
Here are four key takeaways from Tech Congress 2025.
1. Bridging OneRoster and the Ed-Fi Data Standard
The Ed-Fi Alliance and 1EdTech Consortium are teaming up to help educators get more out of their edtech tools. By integrating OneRoster and the Ed-Fi Data Standard, systems can share data more easily and give educators quicker access to the information they need to support every student. At Tech Congress, the roster steering committee reviewed the latest solution and architecture, and agencies and service providers signed on to join the next phase of the pilot this summer. Learn more about the partnership and how to get involved.
2. Improving How Data Follows Transfer Students
When a student moves, their data should move just as quickly — so they can get the support they need from day one. The Ed-Fi Data Standard is already helping streamline transfers within states like Indiana, Michigan, and Texas. Efforts are now underway to improve student transfers across state lines. We’re participating in design groups for the Moving with the Mission initiative to help develop secure, seamless ways to share student data for military families moving between states.
3. Bringing the Ed-Fi Data Standard to the Workforce
We’re excited to see the community using the Ed-Fi Data Standard to connect data across preschool, K-12, higher education, and the workforce. With the upcoming release of Data Standard 6.0, the Educator Preparation Data Model (EPDM) will become part of the core standard, further supporting efforts to prepare educators and improve workforce outcomes. Innovative work like CCMR Insights in Texas and the Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboards in Indiana bring together data that ensure students stay on track for college, career, and military goals. Data Standard 6.0 will make it easier to support students from the classroom to their careers.
4. Shaping the Next Generation of Tools and Technology
The Ed-Fi Alliance team shared updates to the Ed-Fi Technology Suite, including a closer look at the Data Management Service (DMS). Formerly known as project Tanager, DMS is a new platform currently being developed for streamlined data exchange through a cloud native architecture. We received valuable feedback during the event and look forward to continuing the conversation. In the coming months, we’ll meet with members of the Ed-Fi Alliance Community to learn more and collaboratively define next steps.
Looking Ahead
This fruitful exchange of ideas reminded us just how powerful it is when our community comes together to drive student success through connected data. We’ll keep building on that momentum at the Ed-Fi Alliance Summit 2025, October 6–8 in San Antonio. We look forward to seeing you there!
